LeBron James: How Many Titles Does He Need to Cement Legacy, Redeem Self?

LeBron James' legacy has been a hot-button issue in the NBA since his decision to sign with the Miami Heat.

Despite all of the Cleveland fans burning his jersey and claiming that he quit on Cleveland, James was a free agent who owed nothing to anybody except himself.

Don't get me wrong—the manner in which James decided to go about his joining the Heat in South Beach was entirely wrong, but his choice to move on from the Cavaliers shouldn't be construed as anything more than a free agent picking a new team.

James is an interesting phenomenon. As quick as the collective media was to heap accolades on his shoulders and build him into one of the greatest players to ever grace the hardwood, the process of ripping him to shreds was done even swifter than the initial construction of James as a player.

Let's start from LeBron's "decision" and move forward.

The idea behind the one-hour special was great. For the first time in league history, James was going to reveal his team of choice on live television at a Greenwich Boys & Girls Club where all proceeds would go to benefit the children of that facility.

On paper, it was a phenomenal plan.

However, the execution of that blueprint failed miserably.

Hours before James went on television and eventually revealed the Heat as his team of choice, US Magazine reported two sources had confirmed James' decision to book six cabanas at a South Beach hotel.

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LeBron James has rented six cabanas at the W Hotel South Beach this weekend to celebrate his team decision, two sources confirm to UsMagazine.com

"

The time and date of that online entry from the magazine remains clear for everyone to read: July 8, 2010, 12:13 PM.

That's fairly important to note considering that James' televised decision did not come until 9:00 PM EST.

Let's flash forward to James' appearance on television sitting across from interviewee Jim Gray.

When Gray asked James if he had made his decision, this is what the superstar offered in response:

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I think I decided this morning. I mean, I decided this morning I went day to day. I wake up one morning, it's this team. I wake up another morning, it's this team. And it's a process that I felt it was I may feel like this is the best opportunity for me or not the best opportunity for me.

But this morning I woke up, had a great conversation with my mom. Once I had that conversation with her, I think I was set.

"

Here's where the problems begin for James. He says that he thinks he decided that morning, but I don't buy that.

Booking six cabanas at a popular South Beach hotel doesn't exactly come together in the span of less than half of a day, and despite what he said, it's rather skeptical that he could make such an important decision on a whim.

But that's not even where it got bad for James. The worst part of his free-agent frenzy was the "welcoming party" that he, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were involved in when all three officially signed their pacts with the Heat.

We all remember the shenanigans that went down. When James promised, "not five, not six, not seven" but a countless number of championships that greatly exceeded the length of his current contract with the team.

Label the antics as whatever you'd like, but it was clearly a monumental mistake that put a giant bull's eye on the back of the Heat that the team won't shake as long as the "big three" remain in tact.

Specifically, it made James the newest villain of the NBA and made it much easier for those already in the opposite corner to root against him.

So how will James get the public back in his corner?

That's a tough question. It also assumes that James wants the critics who were so quick to criticize him back in his corner, and that's an assumption that we can't make as of this moment.

James joined the Heat because he felt that it presented the best opportunity for him to win long-term.

Can anyone actually argue with that logic?

We can't sit here and hypothesize the successes and/or failures of a team that might have improved with James in the fold, because the fact of the matter is simply that he signed with the Heat. 

He didn't owe anything to the Cleveland Cavaliers or any other organization. James was the best free agent on the open market, and as such, it was his solely his decision as to where he would sign.

Is his legacy adversely impacted by his decision to ask from a little help from his friends? Truthfully, that's in the eyes of the beholder.

It depends on how one defines legacy and the measuring stick for what what accolades are necessary in order to create one.

When it comes to James, the criticisms won't subside until he wins his first ring.

But will it be enough to silence them permanently?

Absolutely not. It was James himself who said that he came to Miami to win multiple championships.

Your move, LeBron.